Horn



Jan. 26, 1937. E AUFIERO l2,068,900

HORN

Filed sept. 27, 1935 Fgl.

INVENTOR. MANUEL AUF/90, BY

MMM.

A TTORNE YS.

Patented Jan. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES HORN Emanuel Aufiero, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to E. A. Laboratories, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 27, 1935, Serial No. 42,381

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a structurally and functionally improved warning signal, capable of use in numerous different associations, but primarily intended to be employed as a signal for use on vehicles as well as for the purposes of a fog signal, a burglar alarm, and many other uses.

By means of the present invention, there is furnished a warning signal which, in operation, will produce a note or tone having extreme carrying power without, however, such tone being raucous or objectionable. Infact, a structure embodying the present invention will be of such a nature that it may, without detriment to carrying power, be of a somewhat musical nature.

A further object of theinvention is that of constructing a warning signal, the parts of which are equally adapted for operation by pressure or vacuum; it being only necessary, in certain instances, to make a slight adjustment of the parts to assure proper operation under either source of power.

An additional object is that of furnishing an apparatus of this nature which will embody relatively few parts, each individually simple and rugged in construction and which parts may be largely manufactured by automatic or semiautomatic machinery and subsequently assembled with minimum effort to furnish a unitary signaling apparatus operating with freedom from-difculties over long periods of time.

With these and other objects in mind, reference is had to the attached sheet of drawing illustrating one practical embodiment of the lnvention, and in which- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional side view of the unit;

Fig. 2 is a rear View thereof, with certain of the parts broken away to disclose the underlying construction; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 and in the direction of the arrows as indicated in Fig. l.

In these views, the numeral 5 indicates a 45 trumpet or sound propagator which may conveniently form a part of the apparatus and which can be attached to the casing 6 by employing, for example, an exteriorly and interiorly threaded bushing l, the threads of which engage corresponding threads formed adjacent the inner end of the trumpet and the inner surface of the casing collar 8. The rear face of the casing 6 may be closed by a housing 9, these parts being connected in any suitable manner, as for example by means of bolts and nuts I0. For the purpose of obtaining access to the interior of the casing, the member 9 may be formed with a rearward opening normally covered by a cap I I, which may be provided with a vent I2 through which air may flow.

As shown especially in Fig. 1, the casing 6 has a central and forwardly extending opening, and to the rear of this opening is formed a passage I3, to which a nipple I4 may be extended, to be connected to a conduit (not shown), supplying 10 movably mounted within the opening of the casing 6 with its edges slidably engaging the walls defining such opening. While the parts should lit in such manner that the valve obstructs the opening, they should` not vengage each other in a manner such that there would be danger of 25 binding or of too great a frictional contact between these parts. A modulator I 9 is secured to the diaphragm I5 in anysuitable manner. This Vmodulator has a central screw-threaded aperture in line with the perforation ofthe diaphragm. Extending through this aperture isl the stem I6, and thelatter is held in place by means of a lock nut I8. In the latter connection, it will be understood that, due to the area and mass of the member I9, as well as the fact thatrit extends within the area through which fluid rushes, it will serve to diminish the frequency of vibration of the diaphragm I5 and parts-associated therewith.

With the parts assembled as shown, it will be apparent that the nipple I4 may be connected to a source of Vacuum or a source of fluid under pressure. According to the source of power, the position of the valve is adjusted. Such adjustmentfmay be effected by simply removing the cap Il and thereafter by turning the stem I6, shifting the latter, together with the valve, in a direction parallel to the axis of the collar 8.

If, for example, vacuum is employed, it will be apparent that the area of the diaphragm I5, as compared to the area of the valve I1, is so great that the diaphragm will be flexed towards the collar 8, thus shifting the Valve to a position at which air may rush through the collar and the opening of the housing 6 towards the outlet I3. 55

This, of course, will result in a breaking of the vacuum, and incident; to the resiliency of the diaphragm l5 the parts will return to their initial position. This operation will be repeated so rapidly that vibration at acoustical frequencies will follow. Consequently, and with proper adjustment, a tone embodying the desired characteristics will be produced. If the valve is adjusted so that pressure may be used to actuate the apparatus, it is apparent that fluid under pressure entering through the passage I3, will cause the diaphragm to be flexed rearwardly until the valve l1 has been drawn into the casing 6 to a position at which the fluid under pressure may escape between the edge of the valve and the housing. Incident to such escape, the pressure within the casing will be relieved, and the diaphragm will return to its normal position. These operations will be repeated at such a rate that there will again be present vibrations at acoustical frequencies.

Under all conditions of operation, it will be apparent that surges setup in the rear part of the housing and incident to diaphragm vibration will not set up a condition of vacuum or pressure because this will be relieved through the vent I2. Also, it is to be observed that one of the main features of the present invention is that of guarding against the possibility of binding between the casing and the valve and irrespective of the amplitude of vibration to which the diaphragm is subjected and the consequent tendency to oscillate on the part of the stem I6. One method of overcoming any binding tendency is that especially shown in the drawing, in which it will be observed that a suitable number of guiding elements 2U extend rearwardly from the face of. the valve inline with the edge of the latter so that they lie closely adjacent to the edge defining the central opening of casing 6. Thus, even if the valve body is moved to a position where it extends slightly beyond the casing material, these guide elements will still maintain the valve in proper condition (i. e., conne its movements to straight reciprocation). Consequently, any tendency of the parts to bind will be entirely overcome.

Thus, among others, the several objects of the invention as specifically aforenoted are achieved.

. It ywill be understood that numerous changes in construction and rearrangement of the parts might be resorted to without in any sense departing from the spirit of the invention as dened by the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A signaling apparatus including, in combination, a housing formed with a pair of openings, a diaphragm mounted by said housing, a valve connected to said diaphragm and extending adjacent and in sliding Contact with the walls dening one of. said openings, the other of said openings being intended for connection to a source of iiuid having a pressure different from that existing in such housing, and means for coniining the movements of said valve to a straight path.

2. A signaling apparatus including, in comblnation, a housing formed with a pair of openings, a diaphragm mounted by said housing, a valve connected to said diaphragm and extending adjacent one of said openings, the other of said openings being intended for connection to a source of fluid having a pressure different from that existing in such housing, and means extending from said valve and in sliding contact with the walls defining said rst named casing opening for guiding the movements of. said Valve.

8. A signaling apparatus including, in combination, a housing formed with a pair of openings,

a diaphragm mounted by said housing, a valve connected to said diaphragm and extending adjacent one of said openings, the other of said openings being intended for connection to a source of fluid having a pressure diierent from that existing in such housing, and guiding elements extending from one of the faces of said Valve body and in sliding Contact with and parallel to the edges of the casing opening for guiding said valve.

4. A signaling apparatus including, in combination, a housing formed with a pair of openings, a diaphragm disposed within said housing, a valve connected to said diaphragm and extending adjacent one of said openings, the other of said openings being intended for connection to a source of fluid having a pressure different from that existing in such housing, and a plurality of guiding elements extending rearwardly from said valve and in sliding contact with the edge of the casing opening to guide said valve, said elements having an outer surface conforming to the operative edge of the Valve.

5. A signaling apparatus including, in combination, a housing formed with a pair of openings, a diaphragm mounted by said housing, a valve connected to said diaphragm and extending adjacent one of said openings, the other of. said openings being intended for connection to a source of uid having a pressure different from that existing in such housing, guiding elements extending from one of the faces of said valve body and adjacent and parallel to the edges of the casing opening for slidably contacting the same to guide said Valve, and means Carried by said valve and connected to said diaphragm for adjustably locating said valve and the guiding elements thereof longitudinally with respect to edges of said casing opening.

6. A signaling apparatus including a housing formed with an inlet and an outlet opening, a diaphragm mounted by said housing and to the rear of. said openings, a valve mounted for movement Within said inlet opening and slidably engaging the walls defining the same, a stern securing said valve to said diaphragm, and said outlet opening being adapted for connection to a source of suction under the iniluence of which Said diaphragm will ex to move said valve to a point at which its body will shift beyond the end of said inlet opening and permit air to flow through said inlet opening to said outlet opening.

EMANUEL AUFIERO. 

